Type II topoisomerases catalyse the interconversion of DNA topoisomers by transporting one DNA segment through another. Bacteria encode two type II topoisomerase enzymes, DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerase IV. Gyrase controls DNA supercoiling and relieves topological stress. Topoisomerase IV decatenates daughter chromosomes following replication and can also relax supercoiled DNA. Bacterial type II topoisomerases form a heterotetrameric complex composed of two subunits. Gyrase forms an A2B2 complex comprised of GyrA and GyrB whereas topoisomerase forms a C2E2 complex comprised of ParC and ParE. In contrast eukaryotic type II topoisomerases are homodimers. Ideally, an antibiotic based on the inhibition of bacterial type II topoisomerases would be selective for the bacterial enzymes and be relatively inactive against the eukaryotic type II isomerases. The type II topoisomerases are highly conserved enzymes allowing the design of broad-spectrum inhibitors. Furthermore, the GyrB and ParE subunits are functionally similar, having an ATPase domain in the N-terminal domain and a C-terminal domain that interacts with the other subunit (GyrA and ParC respectively) and the DNA. The conservation between the gyrase and topoisomerase IV active sites suggests that inhibitors of the sites might simultaneously target both type II topoisomerases. Such dual-targeting inhibitors are attractive because they have the potential to reduce the development of target-based resistance.
Type II topoisomerases are the target of a number of antibacterial agents. The most prominent of these agents are the quinolones. The original quinolone antibiotics included nalidixic acid, cinoxacin and oxolinic acid. The addition of fluorine yielded a new class of drugs, the fluoroquinolones, which have a broader antimicrobial spectrum and improved pharmacokinetic properties. The fluoroquinolones include norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and fourth generation quinolones gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin. The coumarins and the cyclothialidines are further classes of antibiotics that inhibit type II topoisomerases, however they are not widely used because of poor permeability in bacteria, eukaryotic toxicity, and low water solubility. Examples of such antibiotics include novobiocin and coumermycin A1, cyclothialidine, cinodine, and clerocidin. However, the continual emergence of antibiotic resistance demands that novel classes of antibiotics continue to be developed and alternative compounds that inhibit bacterial topoisomerases are required.